--- title: How a New Year’s Detox Sent One Woman to the ER description: Reducing calories too drastically or for too many days could slow your metabolism and send your body into energy-conservation mode. canonical: https://time.com/4622911/detox-dangers/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-05T14:26:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:46.875Z article:section: Health og:title: How a New Year’s Detox Sent One Woman to the ER og:description: Full-fledged fasting is not recommended og:url: https://time.com/4622911/detox-dangers/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ecf566966930d95/6988b47497cdff36cf6af046/detox-diet-dangers.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 7360 og:image:height: 4140 og:image:alt: Colorful smoothies in plastic bottles og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How a New Year’s Detox Sent One Woman to the ER twitter:description: Full-fledged fasting is not recommended twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ecf566966930d95/6988b47497cdff36cf6af046/detox-diet-dangers.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How a New Year’s Detox Sent One Woman to the ER > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=1071953d-30b7-497c-abae-4866433aef20&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Should I Drink Green Juice? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Drink Green Juice?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/J0d2ag3D.m3u8) (1:36)  _Published 2015-04-23. Green juice can cost you $10 a bottle. But is it a trend worth buying into? All five of our experts gave green juice the go-ahead_ by [Amanda MacMillan / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Amanda MacMillan / Health.com Contributor Jan 5, 2017 2:26 PM UTC  Colorful and vivid smoothies in plastic bottles Colorful and vivid smoothies in plastic bottles Getty Images by [Amanda MacMillan / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Amanda MacMillan / Health.com Contributor Jan 5, 2017 2:26 PM UTC After the sugar- and booze-filled holidays, starting the new year off with a cleanse or a detox may seem like a great way to reset, kickstart healthy habits, and maybe lose a few pounds. But certain “cleansing” strategies can be downright dangerous—as one British woman learned when her New Year’s detox sent her to the hospital with potentially life-threatening complications. The 47-year-old patient was admitted to Milton Keynes University Hospital in the U.K. after she [collapsed and suffered a seizure](http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2016/bcr-2016-216348.full.pdf). Doctors learned that she’d been drinking more water and [tea](http://www.health.com/celebrities/5-things-you-should-know-about-detox-teas) than normal, and had also been taking at least nine herbal [supplements](http://www.health.com/family/supplements-risks-hypercalcemia) in an attempt to treat minor symptoms such as stress and low mood. The woman’s doctors wrote about her case, which occurred during a previous New Year’s season, in a recent issue of _BMJ Case Reports._ They published the paper as a warning to others who may be considering New Year’s cleanses—especially the kind that involve excessive amounts of fluids or alternative remedies. In this case, the woman developed [hyponatremia](http://www.health.com/cold-flu-sinus/too-much-water-while-sick-can-be-dangerous), a potentially fatal problem that can occur when sodium levels in the blood drop to unsafe levels. For healthy people, this normally happens only when they drink _lots_ of excess fluids; but it’s suspected that valerian root—one of the herbs this woman was taking—may increase a person’s vulnerability to the condition. That might explain, the doctors wrote, why simply drinking more tea and water quickly became dangerous. **_Health.com_**_:_ [_5 Weeks to Your Best Body Ever: What to Eat_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20450837,00.html/?xid=time) Of course, there are all sorts of detoxes out there, and not all of them have been associated with such scary side effects. But there is plenty to be wary of in this realm, says Courtney Peterson, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama Birmingham—and plenty to keep in mind if you’re planning to try an extreme diet change of your own. “When you think of detoxing, most people think of the liver, because it’s the main organ that metabolizes toxins,” Peterson told _Health_. “But when you fast or do a detox, there are many different organs involved, and those organ systems can react in many different ways.” In addition to all-out fasting, Peterson says most detoxes can be divided into four categories: herbal cleanses, oil cleanses, [juice cleanses](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20679227,00.html), and food-based cleanses. She prefers to steer people toward the last two categories, which have been shown to be safer and more effective for jumpstarting healthy habits. As the case report shows, cleanses involving herbal remedies can have unintended consequences. “Most herbs have an upper toxic limit, and they tend to be toxic in much smaller doses than food,” Peterson says. “Even herbs you use for cooking, like [cinnamon](http://www.health.com/nutrition/health-benefits-of-cinnamon), are only safe in small doses.” (Cinnamon has been touted for its ability to lower blood sugar, but large amounts can also damage the liver.) Supplements can also interact with each other or with medications you’re currently taking—and because they’re not regulated as strictly as drugs, there’s no way to know if [ingredients or quantities are mislabeled](http://www.health.com/mind-body/investigation-reveals-many-supplements-sold-by-major-retailers-are-mislabeled). If you’re set on adding new herbal supplements to your health regimen, Peterson says, talk to your doctor and research their safety information first. Another popular type of cleanse involves drinking large quantities of olive oil, often with lemon or apple juice. “This is quite dangerous,” says Peterson. “The idea is to dislodge [stones in the gallbladder](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20568290%5F2,00.html) or liver, but it’s been shown that drinking this much oil can actually deposit _new_ stones, made of olive oil derivatives, in these organs.” There’s been at least [one report](http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2805%2966373-8/fulltext) of a woman being sent to the emergency room for this complication. Peterson doesn’t recommend full-fledged fasting—at least not for more than a day or two—and is strongly against diets like the [Master Cleanse](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20409933,00.html), which involves drinking water with lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Not only do these diets last too long and cut calories too severely, she says; that much cayenne can also irritate the intestines and prevent electrolytes from being properly absorbed. She’s more supportive of cleanses that replace some or all of the day’s meals with plant-based juices. Still, these come with caveats: Reducing calories too drastically or for too many days could slow your metabolism and send your body into energy-conservation mode, so you won’t burn calories as easily. You should also cut back on or avoid exercise if you’ve slashed your calorie intake, and you may experience [headaches](http://www.health.com/migraines-headaches) and fatigue. If your daily sodium intake drops dramatically—which it might if you’re only consuming unsalted fruits and vegetables—you could put yourself at risk for hyponatremia. “People think they’re in the middle of a cleanse so they need to drink more water,” Peterson says. “But if you’re already not taking in sodium, drinking more water could send your body into shock.” She suggests following juice cleanses for only a few days, tops, and says anyone with with [diabetes](http://www.health.com/type-2-diabetes/stay-fit-stay-well), [heart disease](http://www.health.com/heart-disease), or kidney problems should avoid them—and all extreme detox diets—completely. **_Health.com_**_:_ [_57 Ways to Lose Weight Forever, According to Science_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20967696,00.html/?xid=time) The [healthiest approach to detoxing](http://www.health.com/nutrition/4-real-world-tips-for-doing-a-whole-food-cleanse), she says, is one that involves whole foods. “There’s nothing wrong with saying, ‘This week I’m going to eat a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables’—maybe blend some smoothies and eat steamed veggies for dinner,” she says. This strategy may even have some advantages over juicing, she adds, because the food’s fiber will help the body excrete more toxins through the colon. Plus, unlike a restrictive liquid cleanse, pledging to eat more fruits and vegetables is hopefully something you won’t tire of anytime soon; it may even become a habit you can practice for the rest of the year. _This_ [_article_](http://www.health.com/nutrition/detox-diet-dangers/?xid=time) _originally appeared on_ [_Health.com_](http://www.health.com) ## Transcript Green juice can cost you $ 10 a bottle, but is it a trend worth really buying into? Five out of five of our experts give green juice the go ahead. The store bought kind has about 36 % of your daily recommended potassium, 20 % of your daily vitamin A 12 grams of natural sugar and four grams of protein. If you juice your own glass you'll likely get even more vitamins. Barry Popkin says that veggie juice is really healthy for you and a lot better for you than fruity concoctions like smoothies. A big concern about juicing is that it gets rid of most of the fiber which lets sugar rush into your bloodstream faster. But Popkin says that because vegetables are so low in sugar, that's not a big issue. Lydia Pisano has researched green leafy vegetables. And finds that they're linked to a lower risk of developing diabetes. Green juice is fine as long as part of your overall well balanced diet. But don't go on an all green juice Cleanse. That's what we have our kidneys and livers for, says Kristi King. Mary Jo Kasten warns that you should be careful with green juice if you have a kidney. Foods like spinach are a rich source of oxalate, which can contribute to kidney stones, but for most people, juicing is just fine. Most of us, of course, aren't anywhere close to overdosing on vegetables. And only 10 % of what we do get down is dark green. It's better to eat your vegetables rather than drink them, says David Katz, but if green juice is what it takes to get your veggie fix, then bottoms up. 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